The 313

I am really amazed and nervous about how quickly time flies away. Our first wedding anniversary was this past Sunday already (I LOVE YOU, DARRY!!). Maybe time flies because things are going so swell -- the first year of marriage was not as hard as I had expected it to be. We got into tiny little tiffs and misunderstandings about dumb things, but the time spent biking in the woods, trying not to sound suspicious crossing the border just to get alcohol at the Windsor duty-free store, playing N64 in the basement, growing and killing plants in our yard, and all of our other adventures was way greater. 

What also really blows my mind is that right around now must be my one year anniversary of moving up to what a Floridian considers "the Great American North." (Yes, Michigan is typically categorized as the Midwest, but we seriously touch Canada. That does not make much sense to me.) Not only did I relocate to a much colder place with a higher percentage of wild bunnies running amok, but to a metro area that most people were pretty shocked to hear. "Detroit? You know that people are leaving there, right? And you're leaving Orlando for that? Good luck to ya." The decision to move up here was out of practicality more than a driving desire to defy all conventional expectation, but living near the Motor City became a lot more than that.

I had some fairly serious reservations about Detroit prior to being two miles away from it. Mind you, we do not live in the city, and anyone who says that they're "from Detroit" but do not live there are kind of being cheap to you. It's not really the same, so I can't say that I know from experience what it's like to live in the city. Darin sure can. In fact, his experiences had me a little traumatized to the point that we had to settle on somewhere else to start out. No little twenty-three year old girl enjoys her fiancé's car getting completely destroyed by semi-automatic gunfire because his neighbors had an argument with someone else, where a bullet hole went straight through the driver's side window. I agreed to be the one to move away from my family and home as long as my setting was a little less dangerous. And that's what we did, and I am happy with our home in what I guess is the "suburbs," although I've also gotten looks of surprise about Lincoln Park. I guess there are shadier parts of it? Not really sure.

We do things here and there in the city. We get saganaki in Greektown. We watch the Tigers play at Comerica. We shop for flowers and food at Eastern Market. We look at the cars at the Renaissance Center and then take the elevator to the top. We have a pretty darn good time.

We see beautiful things. 

(If you have ever watched the Superbowl, it is pretty clear that I did not make this video.)

Detroit is a city that most of America can't understand. Why would people stand behind a place that is essentially zombie land? Why don't they just let it fall to rot and let the crime lords take each other out? What good is it anymore? People who think that Detroit is a toilet and that its people are subhuman can stay home, keep shopping at their strip malls, and reading their Oprah book club books. Those people don't like culture, grit, history, flavor, diversity, resurrection. 

"Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus -- We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes."

All eyes are on this place now that the emergency manager declared Chapter 9 Bankruptcy. It's a public spectacle to see the biggest American city let the court help in restructuring the massive debt, caused by the worst of government cronyism and con artists elected to office. This move sealed the deal for a lot of people's opinions, that they'll keep themselves firmly planted where they are and pick somewhere else to go on vacation (as if Detroit was ever on their mind). It may not look good, but it's a chance to make a comeback.

Darin and I are not planning on leaving anytime soon. We in fact hope to move into the actual city someday. (Fingers crossed, maybe the BK will open up some nice real estate! Haha.) Does it make any sense? Not really, if you haven't set foot into the city, and have no idea that there are hundreds of incredibly committed individuals to making the city a better place and trying to change it into something unexpected. It seems like a dumb place to settle down and one day raise a family. 

It might be nice for our kids to say where they were born, and people already know where they come from.

Florida is great and will always be my stomping grounds, but I am enjoying the four seasons, the sports, the music, the art, the food, and the life. Orlando had no shortage of fun around every corner, but Detroit is an old soul, one that whispers in a way that many people can't hear it, or refuse to hear it. We want to hear and give back.

All of my thoughts might sound silly since my experiences are really from a point of observation, still living in another chunk of Wayne County. I do not have the feelings and thoughts that someone would who was born here, and died here after a hundred years. But I have some. Detroit, you have one more voluntary visitor and promoter -- I plan on backing you up in my heart even when the world says to tear you down.

Godspeed to the future, Motor City.

Love, Lara

P.S. I realize that writing has fallen by the wayside, which is a shame. We will get caught up someday. I especially owe my awesome, BFF spouse a tribute considering that I just waxed eloquent about the most dangerous city in America, hahaha. Much love!

Thrift Is A Virtue

Good morning! I am enjoying one of my last weekdays where I can be at home at 11 a.m. in my cozy clothes doing nothing, since in two weeks I will be in an office at this time! Yay! But in the meantime, I am going to brew myself another cup of coffee and chillax until I have to go wipe some noses and plop bottoms onto chairs (since standing on them is kids' favorite but quickest-regretted pastime).

Being a young newlywed, I know how it goes trying to get the most bang for your puny buck. By puny, I mean lower middle class -- definitely not claiming poverty, since we have been blessed way too much with education, jobs, wedding gift money, etc. However, it's hard to see magazines and TV shows and get ideas for what you want your clothes and house to look like, only to remember that you need to be saving for a new car sans Detroit bullet holes (Darin's gift from old neighbors lol), not buying stuff from Pottery Barn or Sephora. Luckily, I am finding that if you budget right and look around, you would be surprised by the kinds of good deals you can find!

Home Decor

I wanted to decorate our house for fall somewhat, and saw these really cute mercury glass pumpkins on Pinterest (my vice), from Pottery Barn. But the small one alone is $24.50! Sheesh! However, on my once-in-a-while trip to Michael's craft store, I found a super thrifty solution. They had styrofoam pumpkins painted silver already, no DIY needed. And the day I was in, they happened to be 40% off that brand! What what! I paid $8 for three pumpkins for our coffee table. If we wrap them nicely, they will last a while, even if a way cheaper material than the PB version. Check out craft stores, they have some house decor that isn't too cheesy and crafty looking.

Beauty

I have been loving the idea of darker lip color for a while now, and haven't really bought any colors in that family before. Darin prefers more natural peaches and pinks, and I usually like focusing on my eyes more in my makeup routine, so lips that are too colorful would be kind of overkill. But I wanted to try something new! I was at the store five below and saw a bunch of Wet n Wild brand makeup for super cheap. Perfect for trying something out before plunking down even $7 for a Revlon or other nicer brand. As it turns out, I like their lipstick a lot more than I thought, and I'll stick with this one until it runs out!

Haha no other makeup on today! But it's such a pretty color. It's called Sugar Plum Fairy and it's a matte shade, in case anyone was wondering. (Put on a layer of lipstick, blot it, dust some powder over it, and then smudge on a little more lipstick to make it last!)

Fashion

Darin has made fun of my glasses for a while now. Actually, it was on Valentine's Day when he told me over Skype that he thinks they're ugly. Great timing, right? Obviously it didn't mess up our relationship since we are married, but I still have those glasses, since I think they are fine. However, I noticed a friend on Facebook mention that with Coastal.com you get your first pair of glasses free, and that hers actually came in the mail and that it was not a scam. Not a bad deal at all! I investigated myself, and they really are free! I paid about $20 for shipping and handling since I ordered the cheapest lenses, which is not bad for a $100 pair of Derek Cardigan wayfarer-style glasses.

Aren't they so cute? The style name is "Black Rootbeer" in case you want to see for yourself. I can't wait till they arrive! The nice thing is that they have a 366 day return guarantee with free return shipping, so if your prescription somehow doesn't come out quite right or the fit is off, send 'em back! Woohoo! Thanks, Facebook, for doing something for me rather than waste my life.

In short, don't give up on cute stuff on a budget! You'll find great deals in the most interesting of places! Now, to find a loophole to score a cheap Michael Kors bag... nah, that'll have to wait a few years.

Love, Lara

Beauty School

Anyone who knows me really well knows this: in the past couple of years or so, I've finally taken to makeup. Really taken to it. It's weird imagining my sophomore year at USF just not bothering to put on anything but maybe a swipe of eyeliner and then heading out the door. Now I am guilty of spending at least 15 minutes crafting my look for the day with something for every part of my face. I can thank some friends who were good at makeup artistry and who knew a lot about good products for getting me into this habit. YES, FRIENDS, THANKS A WHOLE LOT.

I don't positively need it. I will survive stepping out to the grocery store or the gym without a speck of anything on my face and be fine. But it is now a necessity for social events and work, and things of that nature. I am now at that point where I really appreciate a good makeup routine for myself and a good set of products that make it happen.

I think makeup sort of gets a bad rap for "churchy" women. It is seen by many as pretty vain in some way, shape, or form; even though many wear it, there are some who really detest it and inwardly judge how much people wear or how much people spend on it. I know, I have thought those things before! And there is that fine line you have to respect where your personal boundaries go from simply looking nice and getting the best for your dollar, and going overboard and idolizing it. (Again, I have this issue, haha.) But I don't think any woman should look at makeup as a purely selfish, worldly thing! It really puts a polish on the natural beauty you already have and makes you look clean and prepared for the world, especially in a professional environment -- just like you'd wear the right clothes. If you aren't a fan, that's great! I just wish some people would get out of their comfort zone a little bit in this area.

Wow, who knew I had this big sermon ready to defend the goodness of cosmetics?

There are definitely some things that have made it so much easier to look like a well-groomed and confident person that I would recommend highly to anyone else:

1. Benefit Erase Paste: Miracle in a little pot, this is. It is the thickest, creamiest concealer in the history of the world. It does wonders for my genetic dark circles under my eyes, and some reddish scar spots on my face. It doesn't exactly set with powder the way you might expect, but I definitely put up with that and just avoid touching those spots for how much better Erase Paste works than others I have tried. Just use the little spatula and dab some on the back of your hand to warm it up, and I use my finger to pat it on to blend! IT IS THAT GREAT, I TELL YOU. :)

2. L'Oreal True Match Foundation: I grabbed this because my Target was being renovated and they marked it down to $4 to get rid of it, and then I had a coupon for $2 off. Can I get a HOLY COW!? That was one of my few bargain beast mode moments I've had, and I about swung off the hanging signs like a gorilla with joy and prowess. Anywho, it ended up being super great. It mixes well with moisturizer if you like to make a tinted version, and also just ends up so smooth with a sponge. This face looks pretty darn good with a nice dewy finish.

3. Urban Decay Naked Palette: Yeah, I apologize in advance for this. It is not a cheap piece of heavenly eyeshadow. It'll set you back $50, and it will probably be a decade before Urban Decay chooses to put it on sale. But there is a reason why. These colors are fabulous. They all look good with one another and make for millions of combos of everyday eye looks. Did I mention also that the formula is amazing? It is silky and delivers so much color for a tiny swipe, especially compared to a dookie Wet 'n Wild eyeshadow or something like that. So this stuff will also last you an awfully long time. I am a testament. I bought this last summer and haven't gotten close to the bottom of the pan on any color, and I use Toasted almost every day. (SO GORGEOUS.) That makes it a bit more worth it, right?? Ugh, I am too well trained by Sephora now.

4. Revlon Lip Butter: This is a little more budget friendly for all types. Revlon is your go-to lip brand, period, in my opinion. I like L'Oreal, too, but these are cheaper and honestly smell and taste better, which matters to me just a little. Their Lip Butter line is amazing! The colors are sheer-ish, so you can decide how dramatic you want to look, but they go on so smoothly and smell wonderful. I am a fan of Peach Parfait, personally. No matter what else you do with yourself, some nice smooth pretty lips make you look pretty spiffy to begin with!

You're well on your way to looking like a naturally beautiful chica if you go ahead and plunk down a few bucks for some nice products that last a very long time, as long as you take care of them. (Wash your makeup brushes regularly, close lights tightly, try repairing broken lipstick or eyeshadow, etc.) You'll look more effortless and buy less cheap makeup that you run through quickly!

I'll add the millions of other things I like another time... ;)

Love, Lara

Get Your Nails Did

No, no one is paying me to write about this. But I need to share with the world some things that has changed my life. My girly, time-wasting life. Not nearly as much as Jesus or many other people/things that have changed my life, but regardless, I feel the need to share the discoveries that have made it fun to be creative again.

With your nail polish!

I never used to paint my nails. It took forever, they got dinged up and chipped, and then the polishes got all gloopy and became useless anyways. As for today, comments are made about my giant basket of polishes gleaming on my bedside table. I have quite a few now that all get used regularly. Why the change? Because of three magic potions I picked up at Sally Beauty Supply for pretty cheap, which will save you the money you thought you wasted on nail polishes that never get used or are too thick.

1. Orly Polish Thinner

This junk is seriously amazing, and I paid about $3.99 for the bottle. Just a couple of drops into a nail polish that is too gloppy and thick, shake up the bottle, and it turns into the smooth, thin magical color you would actually use. This saved my white nail polishes -- for some reason, those have always given me trouble by going on in blobs from the brush and not spread out all nice and cute. This made them work! It also saved some polishes I've had for a while that were aging a bit, giving them extra life. Do it.

2. Oh! So Wet Quick Dry Topcoat

My other biggest issue was hitting a nail on something while it was still wet, ruining all my hard work. Nail polish on its own takes forever to dry. I wanted to give up. But my sweet friend Amanda introduced me to this topcoat, which is insane at speeding up drying and making your nail polish stay good for days and days. I can't go without it anymore. Again, I bought a bottle of this last semester and it got super thick, and the previously mentioned thinner restored it. Good to go. Definitely worth about $4.50.

3. Beauty Secrets Nail Polish Dryer

This is the final touch on my nail drying process. It's an aerosol spray that does not smell chemical; it sort of smells like dry shampoo or something similar. It has nourishing vitamins and conditions your cuticles, so it doesn't just do your polish and dry the rest of you out. It only takes a little per hand, for about $3.50. Why not?

All in all, a way to have good-looking hands on a budget; your nails will come out looking about as nice as a professional manicure for a lot cheaper. If you get a rewards card at Sally Beauty Supply, you'll be rolling in even more dough. (I am a rewards FIEND.) Stay beautiful on the cheap!

Love, Lara